


Dark Clouds

by RaccoonBlues



Series: Sunshine [2]
Category: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Happy Ending, M/M, Sad, going away
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-07
Updated: 2015-09-07
Packaged: 2018-04-19 12:10:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4745933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaccoonBlues/pseuds/RaccoonBlues
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Napoleon had known for a while that Illya would eventually leave him.  Illya was after all a foreign exchange student, who would have to return to Russia at the end of the school year.  Knowing that Illya had to leave didn’t make the idea of it happening any easier to swallow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dark Clouds

**Author's Note:**

> I actually had a lot of fun writing that last AU, so here's more of it. I mostly wanted a mopey Napoleon, so I wrote mopey Napoleon. 
> 
> You don't have to read the first, but you might like it.

Napoleon had known for a while that Illya would eventually leave him.  Illya was after all a foreign exchange student, who would have to return to Russia at the end of the school year.  Knowing that Illya had to leave didn’t make the idea of it happening any easier to swallow.  There were just two more weeks until finals and only one more week after that before Illya was whisked back off to his homeland.  It was so little time.  It broke Napoleon’s heart to know that soon he and Illya would be separated by an ocean and several thousand miles.  What would he do without Illya?

The thought kept him awake at night.  Sure, there were plenty of ways to keep in touch with Illya, phone calls, video chats, email, but none of it was the same as having Illya right here with him.  No matter how many phone calls he got from Illya it would never replace the feeling of laying in his arms in bed.  Napoleon’s cheap apartment, which finally felt like home now that Illya had made himself comfortable in it, would suddenly feel cold and lonely.  The place that had felt just right for the both of them would feel far too large for Napoleon on his own.  Napoleon wasn’t ready.  He wasn’t ready to have Illya ripped away from him.  He would never be ready.

As upset as Napoleon was, he did his best not to let it show.  The last thing he wanted was for Illya’s last few weeks with him to be sad.  He wanted Illya to have happy memories to take home with him.  He couldn’t stand the idea of Illya going back to Russia with images of Napoleon being depressed fresh in his mind.  Napoleon wanted to Illya to think back on his time with him fondly, he wanted Illya to remember the good things about their time together.  More importantly he wanted Illya to know how happy, how much better, his life was now thanks to him.  As heart breaking as it was for Illya to be leaving, Napoleon refused to let that sadness eclipse all of the happiness he’d felt while he and Illya were together.

As determined as Napoleon was to make Illya’s last few week’s good ones, it was hard for him to keep up the front while he was alone.  When he had the apartment all to himself while Illya was in class Napoleon would wallow in his despair.  He’d mope around thinking about how lonely he would be once Illya had gone back to Russia.  He wondered how he’d get by without Illya to pester him about his spending, or remind him to get to work on his papers sooner than the night before they were due.  His grades had gotten so much better now that he had Illya to hound him about his school work.  Of course, his grades would probably tank as soon as his final grades came in.  He was far too depressed about Illya’s pending departure to focus on things like studying. 

If only he could keep Illya with him forever.

Now there was a thought, he and Illya together for the rest of their lives.  They could get married, buy a house, get a pet, and grow old together.  They could be so happy together, if only Illya didn’t have to go back to Russia.

Napoleon checked the time.  Illya would be home soon and it was Napoleon’s turn to make dinner.  He didn’t feel much like cooking, not that he felt like doing much lately, maybe he should order them something.  Illya was fond of the food from that deli down the road and they delivered.  Napoleon just had to find the motivation to get up and look for the menu.  Being depressed was far more draining than Napoleon had ever imagined.  He was sure it would only get worse once Illya was actually gone.  Napoleon stood up and shook his head.  He had to stop thinking about it.  Illya would be home soon and he couldn’t see how poorly Napoleon was taking this whole thing.  Happy memories, Napoleon was determined to give Illya happy memories to take back with him to Russia.

Now to get started on making those happy memories Napoleon needed to find that take out menu.  A sure fire way to make Illya happy was to stuff him full of good food.  Napoleon went to the kitchen and started rifling through the stack of takeout menus he kept in a bin on the counter.  Napoleon stopped when he heard the door open.  That was odd.  Illya shouldn’t be home for at least another half hour.  Napoleon shrugged it off and went to greet his boyfriend, he’d take whatever time with Illya he could get his hands on.

“Well, hello there,” Napoleon said.  He leaned a hip against the door frame that separated the kitchen from the living room where Illya was putting away his things in the corner he’d claimed for himself.  Illya stopped what he was doing at the sound of Napoleon’s voice and smiled at him.

“Hello,” Illya replied stepping up to Napoleon.  He put his hands on Napoleon’s hips and pulled him in for a kiss.  Napoleon wrapped his arms around Illya’s neck and kissed him back.  He ran his hands through the hair at the nape of Illya’s neck when the other pulled away.  “An excellent welcome home,” Illya said.

“Glad you liked it,” Napoleon said.  Illya looked so happy, it warmed Napoleon’s heart.  It couldn’t lift the dark cloud completely, but enough to help him enjoy his time with Illya.  “I was thinking of ordering from that deli you like, what do you think?”

“I think we should go to that Italian place you love so much,” Illya answered.  Napoleon was confused, but Illya just kept smiling and using his thumbs to rub circles on Napoleon’s sides. 

“You mean the place with the ‘outrageous prices’?” Napoleon asked.  The only time Illya had gone there willingly was for Napoleon’s birthday.

“That is the one,” Illya said.  He was still smiling and Napoleon was starting to get suspicious.

“You hate that place,” Napoleon said.  “According to you it’s overpriced and overrated.”

“I still feel that way,” Illya said.  “But, you love it and tonight you deserve something special.” 

If that didn’t raise a red flag nothing would.

“Why do I deserve something special?” Napoleon asked taking a step away from Illya.

“You deserve something special because I come bearing amazing news,” Illya said.  His smile grew and he took Napoleon’s hands in his own.

“What is it?” Napoleon asked.

“I have been accepted into graduate school, here, in America,” Illya said.  Napoleon stared at him, his eyes wide in shock.  “I start in September,” Illya added.

Napoleon threw his arms around Illya.  He couldn’t believe it, Illya was staying.  Illya was staying and this was the best day of Napoleon’s life.  He was so happy and relieved.  He clung onto Illya and felt his eyes begin to water, but unlike all the tears he’d shed in private, these ones were tears of joy.

“You have no idea how happy this makes me,” Napoleon said.  He clung to Illya, he never wanted to let go, and now he didn’t have to.

“Of course I do,” Illya said.  He wrapped his own arms around Napoleon and held him tightly, as if he thought Napoleon would vanish if he let go.  “You are bad at hiding from me.  Your sleep has been poor as of late and your eyes are often red, as if you have been crying.”  Napoleon pulled away enough to look Illya in the eyes.

“You knew?” he asked.  Illya nodded.  Napoleon felt the tears in his eyes start to fall.  “I tried so hard to hide it from you.”  Illya took one of his hands and started wiping away Napoleon’s tears.

“You never have to hide from me,” he told Napoleon.

“I know,” Napoleon replied.  “It’s just, I wanted you to have happy memories before you left.”  Illya gave Napoleon another kiss.

“You have already given me more happy memories than I ever thought I deserved,” Illya said.  “And now we get to make as many new ones as we please.”

Napoleon put his hands on either side of Illya’s face and kissed him with everything he had.  Illya was going to stay.  Illya was going to stay, they were going to celebrate at Napoleon’s favorite restaurant, and this was the start of something beautiful.  The dark clouds that had been gathering over Napoleon’s heart finally dissipated.


End file.
